Access to lower clutch housing

[JohnMcK]

Hi guys. I recently acquired a 25 DB Depot Wagon that had been sitting in a pole barn for 20 years. I've got it running well, but I'm having difficulty getting it into gear and shifting. So today I drained the tranny and found it was filled with pretty light oil. I'm going to flush the case with some kerosene before filling it with 600W. I am also planning to spray down the clutch plates with brake-clean to clean them up, but when I opened the clutch access plate I found a bunch of mouse nesting material inside. I've cleaned out everything I can see, but am afraid the bottom of the case may be filled with that stuff also. The weep hole at the bottom of the case was stuffed with similar material. (How did those critters get in there?!?) Is there any way to access the bottom of the case without pulling the tranny/clutch off the motor? Maybe I could try attaching a flexible rubber hose to my shop vac and snake it down there? Thanks in advance for any advice. John

[nearchoclatetown]

Flushing the discs with brake clean should help. Trans oil should be as thick as possible. As stated in other threads some even mix in tubes of grease. My truck had the starter removed when I bought it. I decided at the last minute to pull the oil pan as the truck had been sitting for a few decades. The mouses had built a nest so that I could not see the crankshaft for the cotton. 

[nat]

     A snorkel on the vacuum is a good plan.  After that put on the necessary gear for asbestos protection, blow it out with compressed air and notify the DEP.

     If the clutch plates completely release and it grinds from a standstill the transmission input shaft pilot bearing may be the culprit.

     If it goes into gear okay from a standstill but grinds when you shift up or down you probably need to practice with the relationship of engine and road speed.  Other than climbing a hill, you should be in high gear at about 20 MPH.

     Shifting without using the clutch is a good way to get a feel for the relationship between road and engine speed.  The transmission will slip into gear when they are matched.

[MikeC5]

Mine had the same when I got it.  I think the critters used cotton from the upholstery.  I think they probably got in from the timing mark hole on the block.  I cleaned out as much as could with a wire (fishing fron same hole) and same from TO bearing opening.  Years later, I still get some at the timing hole after running, so I'm sure there's still some in there.  Not worth pulling the tranny, in my opinion.  It doesn't seem to hurt anything.  The rad hoses had been removed while in storage, so there was pleny in the block too.   I pulled the head and cleaned out the block (and head) as best I could and have used a panty hose filter at top of rad neck since then.  I check it when getting the car on the road in the spring and the debris has tapered off to nothing over 5 - 6 years.  I did have to replace the honey comb radiator it came with as it was plugged up good and you can't rod them out. The filter kept the new core from getting plugged up.